Content. The buzzword of modern-day marketing. Not a day goes by in the office when the word content isn’t mentioned. With all this comes a huge increase in video content, and at a time where one third of online activity is video consumption, brands would be foolish to not ensure that the video content they are producing is engaging, relevant and last, but by no means least, has a purpose.

Yet, with this explosion of online video comes a huge amount of data, which ultimately, is the key to brand success; unlocking audience behaviour, and being informed about what is making an impact. In light of this, I attended an Online Video Data Revolution Talk hosted by Tubular Labs last week where I was able to listen to the success stories and learnings from broadcast and digital experts in their pursuit of doing just that.

Be one of the ‘Lads’

In the room, we learnt tips from the likes of Adam Clyne, COO of The LAD Bible Group,the world's fastest-growing news site for young men. With monthly viewership of 3.7 billion, and ranking second across global media properties (according to Tubular Lab’s August statistics), The LAD Bible is a great example of a brand born out of social media channels, mainly Facebook, which meant the pressure to create engaging video content was vast.

Clyne was quick to acknowledge that the ‘relatability’ of The LAD Bible’s content has been a huge factor in its success. By understanding their audience, the team at The LAD Bible are able to produce video which has the likeability and shareability factor which exponentially increases the likelihood of getting views. Elements like ‘tag a mate’ act as a direct call to action, which often results in a domino effect with audiences’ content participation.

The success of The LAD Bible has also been down to the instantaneous results which they can gauge through social sentiment. Clyne highlighted that more than ever, if the content is wrong for your audience, they are not afraid to comment and call you out on this. This goes for branded content as well, with audiences being savvy enough to acknowledge a brand collaboration when they see it. However, Clyne pointed out that such content shouldn’t be an anomaly within your newsfeed or enable you to “sell your soul” by changing your normal tone for the sake of a brand. Nowadays, it is more important than ever to react to what your audience wants, learn the before and after, and ensure you’re targeting those most engaged with your content.

Leaving Broadcast Behind

With the rise in digital video content, where does this leave broadcasters? Certainly, there is the necessity to keep ahead with the times by creating short-form content which can establish a place on social platforms in its own right. Andy Taylor, co-founder and CEO of LittleDot Studios commended American talk shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Late Late Show with James Corden for their ability to master an online presence.

A show of hands in the room proved this point when asked who watches The Late Late Show with James Corden versus who had seen James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke ; more often than not, YouTube sees more views of broadcast content than the programme itself. These types of videos tap into the recipe of success which Adam Clyne spoke of, being easily shareable as well as timeless in their existence on YouTube.

What’s next for video

With the surge in demand for online content, Andy Taylor from Little Dot predicted that in five years’ time, Facebook will consist of strictly video content. For broadcasters to succeed in these times, he predicted that we are more likely to see TV and online collaborations. This is something we have already had glimpses of with the recent partnership between National Geographic and The LAD Bible, whereby National Geographic’s Leonardo DiCaprio-led documentary, Before the Flood ( was broadcast simultaneously on TV and via a livestream on The LAD Bible’s Facebook page.

This form of output is establishing a presence online, particularly for sports fans who have shown themselves hugely engaged with digital and social live streaming, which brings massive opportunities for rightholders and broadcasters alike. Just recently, Andy Murray became the first tennis star to stream a major match live on Facebook from his own page, and Moto GP earned more than 7 million views from a clip of Andrea Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi partaking in some ‘epic’ wheelies, demonstrating that the appetite for live sport on social will continue to increase.

Ultimately, it is clear that video content is more important than ever for engaging audiences and creating a loyal fan base for your brand; viewer behaviours are finding new forms of expression all the time, so, more often than not, brands need to adapt quickly and respond. Lastly, it is important to understand that the digital landscape has shifted in such a way that brands are able to reach their consumers without necessarily going through a third party, putting greater emphasis on the brand messages themselves and the way they reach their audience. We’re currently in a shift state, the balance of power for content is moving from broadcast to online, and I for one am excited to see where brands can capitalise from this.

In September 2014, I wrote a blog about how RB Leipzig were sending shockwaves through German football as they reached the 2. Bundesliga. The team have since continued with their rapid rise, climbing into second place in the Bundesliga, only behind Bayern Munich on goal difference. Yet their ascent of German football has brought negative attention for both the club and the business model, highlighted by their recent number 1 ranking on a list of the most unlikeable professional clubs in Germany. Much of the animosity stems from the current culture and structure of German football, where fans are members and no one owner can dictate the future of a club. The Red Bull ownership model has challenged this tradition, allowing the Austrian energy drinks company to fund their rise to the top tier of German football. Opposition fans have found a variety of methods to display their resentment, including Union Berlin fans dressing in black, Dortmund fans boycotting the match, and Dynamo Dresden fans going even further, throwing a severed bull’s head from the stands. Much of the anger directed their way can be put down to their nouveau riche status and the particularly rapid ascent of the club. However, even their own stablemate, Red Bull Salzburg, has started to feel the effects of Leipzig’s success, as players, coachesand even kit have swapped Salzburg for Leipzig, whilst future investment is may also be directed into East Germany.

Out of the controversy, there have been glimmers of positivity towards the club, likely due to the emergence of a club from the former East Germany to rival the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. In fact, they are the first East German club to reach the Bundesliga since 2009 and there is hope that their ascent will, in due course, lead to the development of more East German players – Toni Kroos was the only member of ‘Die Mannschaft’ in 2014 that won the World Cup.

The club has won plenty of admirers amongst footballing purists, as they play an exciting, swashbuckling brand of football, with the introduction of plenty of young, homegrown talent – the club have a policy of only signing players under the age of 24. The club has national team players at every age level and investment in their academy is aimed at creating a sustainable platform so that outward investment in players is minimal. Their progress has been overseen by Ralf Rangnick, who is respected throughout German football and has been previously touted for the England job.

The controversy remains however, and it’s a journey that has caused a good deal of reflection within football communities in Germany. One self-proclaimed ‘football philosopher’, Wolfram Eilenberger, has argued that fans are venting their frustrations over their own club’s failures: “He who hates Red Bull (Leipzig) hates himself”. There will be many neutrals who would like to see Bayern’s dominance dismantled and it is interesting to see Bayern President-in-waiting Uli Hoeness state that “if it works, it is good for all football, not just for the East”. Whilst not all are enamoured by RB Leipzig’s success, there is much to admire about the progress of the club. Red Bull’s support of football clubs in Austria (est. 2005), Brazil (2007), Germany (2009), Ghana (2008) and USA (2006) points to solidarity and continued investment, which is not to be taken for granted...and something which many football fans would welcome at their club.

Whichever side of the divide you stand, it seems likely that given the financial support and sustainable model overseen by Rangnick, RB Leipzig will be a regular name in the Bundesliga for years to come.